Online personal training, my first week exercising at home (and not making excuses)!

I did my first workout at home with Drew Gatherer PT last Friday with the second one scheduled for Sunday.  But on Saturday I was feeling really unwell after a rubbish sleep and I had a sore throat.  I got up on Sunday morning and thought, I am not really 100%, I do feel better but I think I will tell Drew that I will postpone workout two until Monday and just go for a walk on Sunday.  Now this is typical Michelle-excuse territory.  I genuinely believed I wasn't really up to exercising.  I messaged Drew ... and he replied ... basically (and very politely) telling me to get on with it!  If you saw my insta-stories you will see me explaining or you can find my facebook video here.

We talked and I realised Drew had a really good point.  I probably was just looking for an excuse, that I needed to try and do the workout and if I was really not well then I would need to stop - but actually if I did it, I would probably feel much better.  I am so used to not prioritising me and my exercise that as soon as there was a small hurdle I looked for an excuse.  But the reason I decided to start a fitness journey with Drew was for the accountability and motivation.  I had to listen to his advice!

Learning to make exercise a lifestyle choice and not a chore!

I found myself laughing at my excuse, my husband thought it was very funny and so I got changed, and hauled my butt into the log cabin and did the workout.  And do you know what, I was absolutely fine,  I did just need a boot up the backside.  It took me a little under an hour, I felt better for it and I then went out for a walk as well, upping my steps and further increasing my efforts towards improving my fitness.

Katy coming to visit me, not very helpful with muddy paws on my mat!

Workout 1 was upper body plus core and stretch.  I ached quite a lot after (DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) but I know these will get better the more exercise I do and Drew reminded me that drinking more water helps too.  I had a few teething problems with the Trainerize app but nothing that caused any real issue or delay.  At the end of the workout you then get to comment on how easy or difficult you found it and any other concerns that your Online PT needs to know about.

Workout 2 was full body plus core and stretch, this was my I will try and find an excuse one, but it all went very smoothly.  I am getting used to the app more.  I am a fairly experienced 'exerciser' so I know my form is pretty good and I recognise most of the exercises from the description but the app has a really clear video for each exercise if it is needed but if you were a beginner it would take a bit longer.  Drew has however written me a personalised programme based on my previous experience, a beginner would have the same, a personalised programme adjusted to them.

Workout 3 was my second full body plus core and stretch.  It was really cold in the log cabin, it is heated. but we don't keep it on full as it is too expensive to run when I am only using it 3 x per week.  So I went out earlier and put the fan heater on!  It helped but still felt cold.  But all done!  I am learning I can fit a workout in even on a busier day, I know I suffer from overwhelm and this is something I will chat to Drew about on our first catch up call (see below).

It gets pretty cold in the log cabin but I am determined not to be put off!

Daily motivation messages - Drew messages me every day to check in on me, I really need help with drinking more water.  Well I really need help with drinking water, full stop! I am not sure why I am so rubbish, I know why it is essential, I like water but I just forget?! So I looked up Drew's facebook posts about the benefits of drinking more water and we had a chat about it ....

Weekly catch-up call - first call, one week after I started my online PT journey with Drew, and we discussed my food diary, how I could improve my snack choices, we discussed allowing time for a proper lunch, and talked about eating out and drinking wine!  Basically my diet is pretty good, my calorie intake about right but I need to be tweaking a few things to improve intake of good fats and protein.  I do know this so now it is just about organising it, I am going to create a list of ideas to pin to my fridge.  We also discussed strategies for increasing my water intake and the benefits!  Drew asked me if I prioritise me and my fitness or do I look after everyone else first, well like most busy mum's it is everyone else first so I need to make a few adjustments there too.

Trying to get my step count up with dog walking!

Stress and sleep - relaxing and taking time out is just as important, if not more so, than exercising is.  It is vital for fat loss that we limit our stress and get more sleep.  At the weekend I was able to have a super-relaxing gong bath and get out for a long walk with my husband, sister-in-law and our dogs.  After a stressful few days of not feeling well and waiting for news of a baby arriving safely, this was just the tonic I needed (the baby did arrive safely)!

Last Saturday was a beautiful morning for a gong bath in Marlow.

Before I go I wanted to share a few words of wisdom from my friend Bev Thorogood, I met Bev when we did The Body Coach plan a few years ago.  She now runs a consultancy offering menopause training in the workplace and has a fab new facebook group called Your Best Midlife.  This post really made sense this morning ...

I wanted to share a story with you.  A few years ago I embarked on the Joe Wicks 90 Day Plan. In fact it's how some of you met me.  It sparked a huge life change for me.  It changed my body shape, it changed my career, in fact I can honestly say Joe Wicks changed my life.

But...

It didn't change my long term habits and behaviours around food and movement and sadly like ALL diet plans, it ultimately failed because it was unsustainable.  I need to add here that I'm a fully qualified sports nutritionist and a certified personal trainer.  I am a NLP Practitioner and a qualified coach, further studying a post grad coaching qualification.  I tell you this because I am now heavier than I was before I started the Joe Wicks plan.

Maintaining weight loss and fitness is not about having knowledge or buying diet plans.  It's about consistently making better decisions, getting support with accountability and having a strong enough reason to be able to overcome the natural urge to revert to things that make us feel good.  Our brains are wired to take the path of least resistance and to seek out short term safety and comfort over longer term gain.  We are complicated beings.  Making better choices is an ongoing struggle for me.

I am learning not to allow myself to get into what I call the Cycle of Guilt.  My weight is an indicator of where I prioritise my decisions IT IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF MY SELF WORTH OR VALUE.  If you're struggling with your weight, a very common problem in midlife, please remember your weight does NOT DEFINE YOU.

Bev Thorogood, Your Best Midlife

Bev's words I am sure will resonate with others too - and it is where I am now, I need to change my long term habits, for me mostly around movement, drinking water, not drinking too much alcohol and tweaking my food choices.  I am not particularly overweight but I have lost my muscle definition.  But I need accountability and support to do it, and that is why so far I am finding Drew such a massive help.  I hope that in the coming weeks and. months exercise will become a lifestyle habit.

Love from 
Michelle xx

Did you miss my first post?  You can read Exercise at home with an online personal trainer here.  And you can find out more about Drew on his website Drew Gatherer PT, My Online Personal Training

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​Disclaimer:  Drew has gifted me one month of online personal training and I have agreed to write about my experience on my blog.  This will be a personal and honest account.

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